What did Raul Hardy do? Man who threatened governor Kathy Hochul killed during NYPD confrontation 

Neighbors of Raul Hardy said that he was mentally unstable (Image via Paul Martinka/Getty)
Neighbors of Raul Hardy said that he was mentally unstable (Image via Paul Martinka/Getty)

On Saturday, July 9, 2022, Raul Hardy, a 60-year-old man from Queens, was shot to death by NYPD after he allegedly threatened to kill New York governor Kathy Hochul.

According to Fox, the NYPD first responded to calls about Raul Hardy at 6 pm after he began threatening to assassinate Kathy Hochul and "blow up" the world. Authorities said that the 60-year-old was shot by officers after he began firing at them with a handgun.

Raul Hardy was a landscaper who had a history of domestic violence-related arrests on his record. However, his cousin Brian Ware noted his surprise when he discovered that Hardy was armed:

"All my life I’ve known him to live there. Never knew him to have any guns."

No officers were harmed during the encounter. Kathy Hochul has not yet discussed the incident with the press.


Neighbors say Raul Hardy "was definitely suffering from mental illness", did not target Kathy Hochul specifically

According to the New York Post, one of Hardy's neighbors anonymously told the reporter that the 60-year-old was not necessarily targeting Hochul. Rather, the neighbor said, Hardy had been troubled ever since the death of his mother, something that manifested in violent outbursts and threats.

Another neighbor, a 38-year-old mother, also told The Post that she had noticed Hardy's erratic behavior and random threats towards various public figures, including Kathy Hochul.

She said:

“His erratic behavior was becoming more frequent, and I was worried for him. I didn’t know who to reach out to. I don’t know his family."

The woman also mentioned that despite the fact that Raul Hardy had seemingly stopped going to work, he remained friendly and engaged.

She said:

“He hung out in the back of his garage, and lately he was having episodes where he would start cursing and talking to himself. He was definitely suffering from mental illness.”

Hardy's volatile behavior came to a head on Saturday when multiple reports were made, complaining that he was publicly shouting that he would kill Kathy Hochul and various others.


What happened during the shooting?

The shooting began soon after first responders arrived at the scene. One neighbor, Kiaeem Thomas, said:

"It was close to home. Just all of a sudden I heard the shots. They were really loud, rapid-fire, like a war zone."

While Hardy was armed, many locals and netizens believe that since he had not presented a major threat in the past, the police should have approached the situation in a non-lethal manner.

On Sunday, New York Mayor Chris Adams told the Press that he believed officers had no choice but to use lethal force.

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Edited by Upasya Bhowal
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